Page 60 of Waiting for Acceptance (Nashville Nights #5)

FITZ

Pops and I come in from working and I see Lauren and Gran laughing together in the kitchen, peeling apples.

She’s wearing one of Gran’s aprons and from the looks of it, Gran is making her famous apple pie for an after dinner dessert.

I’ve never loved the sight of something as much as I love seeing Lauren fit in here so well.

“There you boys are! Lunch is officially ready,” Gran says. She slides two plates with chicken salad sandwiches and veggies over to us, and Lauren pours us both a glass of lemonade.

“If it doesn’t taste good don’t be too hard on me, I’ve never made homemade lemonade before.” She raises her hands and I take a sip.

“You put your finger in this, Trouble?” Her eyes grow wide.

“Is it sour? I put the right amount of sugar in it.” She frowns and I can’t help but laugh.

“No, it’s perfect, Sweetheart.” I laugh, winking at her as I take another drink. She gives me a playful eye roll and I make a note to deal with her later over it. Pops and I are quiet while we stuff our faces and I watch as Gran gives Lauren step-by-step instructions on how to make the pie filling.

“You’ll never be the same after having Gran’s apple pie. Trust me,” I tell her and Lauren smiles.

“I can’t wait.” I watch her, in the pair of linen shorts she changed into, a pair of flip flops, and a white boxy tee, with Gran’s watermelon apron on, and can’t imagine anyone else I’d ever want to share this part of myself with.

“Lauren told me about how you two met,” Gran says, lifting her eyes to mine.

“I’m proud of you for swooping in and keeping her away from men with ill intentions.

” I can’t help but laugh, remembering the night I made the bold move of calling Lauren my wife, having no idea whether she would play along or slap the shit out of me for overstepping.

Then I realize she told Gran the real way we met.

“Okay. I think I need to dance some of that off.” Pops pats his stomach and stands from his seat, kissing Gran on the nose before walking into the living room.

I see Lauren’s head swing in my direction and I dip my head, avoiding her gaze.

I hear the music from their record player flowing into the kitchen a moment later and Gran wipes her hands off on her apron before Pops comes in, taking her by the hand and pulling her in close.

I stand from my seat and do the same with Lauren, and before I know it the four of us are all dancing in the living room to Elvis’s “Burning Love” while Gran and Lauren’s laughter fills the room.

I take Gran and hand Lauren off to Pops, spinning Gran around the living room while Pops dances with my girl, and I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than I am right now.

“Whew! I think I’m ready for my nap now. Good food and good dancing will really take it out of ya.” Pops kisses Gran and looks at Lauren. “It was a pleasure dancing with you young lady.”

“The pleasure was all mine. You may give Vince a run for his money as my top choice for a dance partner.” She smirks at me and I shake my head.

“Okay. I’ll see y’all around supper time.” Pops heads in the direction of their bedroom and I get an idea.

“I’ll be right back.” I kiss Lauren’s temple and head to the loft, better known as my old bedroom, where I dropped mine and Lauren’s stuff off earlier.

I dig through my old dresser looking for the pocket knife Pops gave me for my sixteenth birthday and slide it into the pocket of my jeans.

When I come back down the stairs I hear Gran’s voice coming from the kitchen and just before I walk in, I hear her say something that stops me in my tracks.

“I never thought I’d see that boy fall in love, but it’s clear as day that he has.”

Well, damn, Gran. Way to tell her before I could.

“Oh, well…” I walk in, cutting Lauren off.

“There you are.” I smile at her, but I can see the unease written all over her face.

“Well, this pie looks ready for the oven. You’re a natural in the kitchen, dear,” Gran praises Lauren and I smile. “Alright, I think I’m going to go tend the garden.”

“Do you need any help?” Lauren asks, but I step in and stop her.

“Actually, if Gran doesn’t mind, I’d like to show you the rest of the ranch.” I take her hand in mine and she nods with a soft smile on her lips.

“Of course, you two go have fun. I’ll see you at dinner.” I nod to the back door and Lauren pulls her apron off, sliding on a pair of boots before following me out through the yard.

“You ever ride?” I ask, catching the flirty look in her eye.

“You know better than anyone that I have.” I bark out a laugh and she smiles.

“I meant horses.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Her eyes roll again. “No, I’ve never ridden a horse.”

“Well, you won’t be able to say that after today.” We walk into the barn and I pull my old horse out of her stall. “This is Tina.” Lauren snickers and I raise a brow at her.

“Sorry, that name makes me think of Napoleon Dynamite. Did you ever see it? When he’s like Tina, you fat lard, come get some dinner .”

I love her.

“Would you believe me if I said that’s who she’s named after?

” She falls into a fit of laughter and I pull Tina with us out of the barn.

Once they’re used to each other, I hop up on the saddle, pulling Lauren up behind me.

“Hold on tight, Trouble.” Lauren’s hands snake around my waist and I sigh at the way her touch always calms me down.

I click my tongue and Tina starts to walk.

I point to the garden where Gran is working, telling the story of how I helped build the greenhouse during my junior year of high school.

Then we pass one of the fields where we keep the cattle.

Next, I show her the chicken coops and the old barn that’s been turned into a bunkhouse, before I let Tina pick up her speed as we start up the hill, stopping when we get to the one place I’ve been dying to bring her.

“Why does this look so familiar?” I smile when she immediately recognizes it.

“Because you’ve seen it before.” I give her a minute to think, not surprised in the least bit when she figures it out.

She gasps, looking at me with amazement in her eyes. “It’s the tree from the painting in your living room.”

“That painting was the first thing I ever willingly spent a large amount of money on,” I admit.

“Well, I understand why.” Her arms readjust around me into less of a grip and more of a hug, her hand caressing my abdomen as we sit here.

“This tree is actually how the ranch got its name. Because no matter what time of day it is, or where the sun is in the sky, the branches are so big the whole hill stays shadowed.”

“Shadow Hill Ranch. I love that.” We hop down and I tie Tina up to one of the low branches and I walk around the tree until I find it—Gran and Pops’ initials carved into the tree with a heart around it.

“Aww. That is so sweet. How long have they been together?” She runs her fingers along the carved bark.

“Shit, I don’t even know. Forever and a day.” She laughs, nodding her understanding.

“They seem like they have the kind of love that lasts.”

“What makes you say that?” I look at her curiously, wondering what her answer may be.

She shrugs, running her fingertips over the soft bark that’s been carved out.

“The way they look at each other, how they stop to dance with each other in the middle of lunch, the nose kisses.” Her eyes meet mine, and my breath catches.

“You’d have to be blind not to see it. He watches her when she’s not looking and she acts like she doesn’t notice, but you can see the smile on her face and you know that she knows.

But, I don’t know…maybe I’m just romanticizing things.

” She shrugs again and I take her face in my hands, tucking her hair behind her ears, even though I know she hates it.

It gives me an unobstructed view of her beautiful face, and for that very reason, I will never stop doing it.

“No, you’re absolutely right. They’ve looked at each other like that for as long as I can remember. And there’s nothing wrong with romanticizing life, Sweetheart. It helps you to know exactly what you want out of it.”

“Fitz?”

“Yes, Trouble?”

“What are we doing here?”

I frown in confusion, letting my hands drop to her arms. “I wanted to show you the tree.”

“No, not here , at the tree. I mean. You and me. What are we doing?” I swallow hard, waiting for the bomb to drop.

“I mean, you come to my house, asking me to be your girlfriend for a year, with no other details, just a blind agreement. What happens when you move back to New York next month? What happens when the year is up? Does all of this just…end? If so, why not just end it now? Because I don’t know if I can just be a parental distraction anymore.

” I feel my heart constricting in my chest.

“Is that what you want? You want all of this to end now?” Her eyes fill with tears almost immediately and I see her head begin to shake.

“Why did you bring me here?” The pain on her face almost breaks me and I know I can’t wait for her to tell me what she wants. She’s guarding her heart, but I need her to know she doesn’t have to. Not from me.

“Because—” I take a deep breath, gathering my courage.

“Because I want to carve my initials into that tree. I want them to be right below yours and circled with a heart. I want them to be here in fifty-five years when we’re old and gray, just like Gran and Pops, and I want to be dancing in the kitchen with you as sickeningly in love with you as I am right now. ”

“What?” she chokes out, as the first tear falls from her pretty blue eyes.

“I love you, Lauren Long. I’m so in love with you it fucking hurts sometimes.

I can’t sleep if it’s not next to you. I think of nothing but you when we aren’t together.

I crave your touch and to see your eyes roll, whether it’s at me or for me.

I love your attitude and the way you love your friends.

I love that you made me feel special on my birthday, and have made me feel just as important every day since then. I love every single thing about you.”

“So it…it wasn’t all fake?” The crack in her voice makes me want to hold her until she can feel just how real my love for her is.

“Sweetheart, I could never fake the way I feel about you. This may have started as a favor or an agreement, or whatever the hell you want to call it. But it’s real. You can’t tell me you don’t feel the same way. Please tell me you feel the same way.”

She takes in a shaky breath, her bottom lip quivering.

“I do. I feel the same way.” More tears fall from her eyes and she smiles through them, my heart freaking soaring when she reaches up and caresses my cheek.

“I love you, Vince. I love you so much.” I wrap my arms around her, picking her up off the ground as she grabs my face and pulls my lips to hers.

I’ve kissed her in every single way imaginable—soft and slow, firm and needy, but this time when I kiss her, I kiss her like she’s mine.

Really mine.

I savor every moment, putting her feet back on the ground so my hands can caress her face, arms, and hips. I’m scared that if I let go, she’ll disappear. That I’ll suddenly wake up and it’ll all have been a dream.

I press my forehead to hers, still trying to catch my breath. “I’ve wanted to tell you this so many times, Trouble. You have no idea how it’s been killing me to keep it in.”

“Well what the hell were you waiting for?” she laughs through her tears, and I take her face in my hands, feeling my heart open even more for her while I get ready to bare my soul.

“I’ve been waiting for acceptance for so long, from so many people in my life, that I guess I wanted to know that you’d accept me for who I really am.

Every single part of me. Not just the rich, real estate empire heir, but the guy who herds cattle and dances with his Grandma in the kitchen with dirt on his boots.

I’ve come so close to telling you so many times, baby.

But I needed you to know this part of me first. That’s why I brought you here, to make sure you could love every part of me. ”

“Vincent Fitzgerald. What on earth ever made you think I wouldn’t love and accept this part of you?” She hits me in the chest and I laugh. “I love you even more, seeing how happy you are out here. I know the real you, Vince. No ranch or real estate office is going to change my mind about that.”

“You’re perfect, you know that?”

She smiles up at me. “Carve our initials in the tree, Vince.”